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"Evil spirits caused the tsunami" is no less superstition than "global warming caused the tsunami". Well. When you think about it, global warming couldn't cau
by anonjon 17y ago
"Evil spirits caused the tsunami" is no less superstition than "global warming caused the tsunami".
Well.
When you think about it, global warming couldn't cause a tsunami, whereas evil spirits could potentially cause a tsunami (if they existed). They aren't equivalent statements.
So the first one is potentially true, but incredible, and the second is simply incorrect.
If your proposal is that evil spirits and global warming are equivalent beliefs, I don't think so. Global warming is actually testable (either the globe is warming or it isn't); you can't test for evil spirits. Global warming might be incorrect, and it might be supported by unfounded evidence, but it isn't superstitious.
- yummyfajitas 17y agoMy proposal is not that global warming is a superstition. My proposal is that many westerners apply mystical thinking, but use scientific words. For some westerners, global warming, chemicals and emf are mysterious and poorly understood forces which cause all sorts of bad things. This is the essence of superstition and mysticism.
- anonjon 17y agoVery well, I think I agree with you then. My only problem is that the majority of beliefs that we rely on in a daily fashion become superstition, even though they could hypothetically not be. Suppose I only superficially know how my car works, for example. Would a belief in my car be treated as a superstitious belief? (Lets say I believe it will get me to work). If not, where do we draw the line between 'magical' thinking and actual knowledge?